archaeological excavations today provide the main source of information about the life of the Celts, their culture, religion, crafts.Writing data preserved in Greek and Roman authors, the ancient Celts early medieval chroniclers tell of work, maintain their own names given place names and folklore.
one people
Celt - a representative of an ancient tribe that lived in the first millennium BC on a vast territory of Western Europe.The Celts are the descendants of a single prehistoric Indo-European people.
from this ancient race afterwards formed Germans, Slavs, Persians, Latins, extinct later Goths, as well as Indians.And then they were descendants developed nations, such as the Slavs were divided into three groups: the western - the Czechs, the Slovaks, the Poles;east - Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian;South - Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, Macedonians.The Celts were the ancestors of the modern Scots, Irish, Breton, Welsh.
genetically uniform Indo-European people who lived five thousand years ago on the territory of Russia (modern Krasnodar region), at the beginning of the Bronze Age has created not only the bronze weapons, but also invented the wheel and domesticated horse.With new weapons, provisions on the convoys, fast cavalry, they easily capture new territories in Europe and Asia, thus becoming later one of the most common groups of people on earth.
Language Celts
In Western Europe, formed a new community of the Indo-Europeans - the Celts with the center in the Alps.Therefore Celt - a medium alpine language group.The most numerous of the people is called galls.During the Roman conquest of their language was strongly influenced by Latin, why partially disappeared from use.Later, the Celtic tribes living in what is now France were subjected to invasion from the north Germans (the tribe of the Franks).
In Britain, because of the remoteness of Albion, Celtic maintained their culture and language from being enslaved by the Romans.Check Celtic Albion back to the early Iron Age (around 600 BC. E.).Celt - a member of the fragmented group that did not perceive themselves as one people.
Druids
Three thousand years ago, I was born a religious cult of the Druids, who possessed the sacred inviolability.The emergence of a class of priests associated with the need to manage Celtic society.Altar stones were set vertically.In the XIX century among scientists stuck it believed that Stonehenge was their sanctuary.
Mythology
their rich cultural heritage passed from mouth to mouth for centuries, legends and stories exist in several versions.Like most ancient peoples, the Celts were pagans and believed in an afterlife.At the burial of the deceased leaves a lot of items such as plates, weapons, tools, ornaments, were not excluded carts with horses and carts.The Celts were convinced that everything had to be in this world, and will come in handy in the other.
main part of the mythology was based on the belief in the transmigration of souls during battle this confidence helped the soldiers to be brave and self-sacrificing, to reduce their fear of death.In severe vicissitudes of life come to the aid of human sacrifice.Celtic Gods: Taranis, Meadow, Ogmios, Teutat, Cernunnos, Belenus, Esus, Brigantia.
Military equipment
Celt - a great warrior who lives robberies and raids, hatred against the Romans and gentiles.The Celts no single political center, that is, there were no kings in each group had the power only to the leader of the race.Information about the Celts, as they had no written language, was first recorded by the Romans two thousand years ago, when they invaded Britain.Kelt for the Roman - Barbarian is retarded standing below, lagging in science and crafts, little knowing and able, while they themselves describe enlightenment people.
Perhaps in the eyes of the Romans, the Celts had no idea of the military strategy, but their gear and weapons in no way inferior to Rome, they were excellent armourers.
When the battle with Roman Gaul outside observer it would be difficult to identify who is who on the battlefield.Young men in helmets Romans were not the Romans - they were the Gauls.The heads of the Romans were decorated with bronze hat with ponytails.Later they copied the Gauls more practical construction helmets with visors on the cheeks.
Shields as the Celts were life-size, and decoration in the form of a convex figure in bronze is not only for beauty but also for protection.The Romans copied and this finding, as well as other weapons, giving them the name Celtic.
Celt for Roman was the creator of the new technological achievements - war chariot.Maybe it's strange, but it caused surprise among the Romans.Some words borrowed from the Celts, such as "League" (the word "horse"), has become a "horse" and "cavalier".
ancient Celts for three thousand years before the advent of Rome created a few grandiose monuments: stone building, massive and tombs of the ancient world famous monument of Stonehenge.We do not know how they built all these buildings, but five thousand years later, they are still standing on the ground, affecting the descendants of its power, and are proof of the culture of ancient people.
